Addressing the Green Transition Forum 4.0: Redefining the CEE Region Global Perspective, Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General of the European Commission's DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE), said the potential contribution of aquaculture products to both food security and to an improved diet for European citizens was systematically underestimated. Bulgaria is one of the countries where this underestimation is quite strong.
The forum is organized by Dir.bg and 3E News, with BTA as its media partner.
Regarding aquaculture, Bulgaria should focus both on the coastal areas and on typically rural areas where income diversification is needed. Vitcheva stressed that fisheries policy has quite similar objectives to those of the Common Agricultural Policy, only there are no subsidies to support the income of those operating in the fisheries sector.
There is no way a single country can ensure sustainability because everything that happens in fisheries is in sea basins - a country cannot develop sustainability if it is not the practice and policy of the neighbouring country, Vitcheva said.
Talking about the Black Sea, sustainability is not guaranteed because of climate change and the pressure on biodiversity, overfishing and unregulated fishing, and lack of cooperation between countries - all of which impedes sustainable management.
The two Black Sea EU Member States, Bulgaria and Romania, account for up to 4% of the total catch in the Black Sea, said Vitcheva.
One of the key changes towards environmental and economic sustainability of marine resources is linked to the diesel price squeeze. The sector's strong dependence on fossil fuels makes it uncompetitive. One of the main changes that should take place is the decarbonization of the sector, said Vitcheva.
In her view, algae are another sector with a great potential for food, food supplements, feed, pharmaceuticals, biostimulants, biofuels and bioplastics.
/RY/
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